Italy to gift rifles to Albania

By the end of the year, Italy will donate to Albania 5,000 Berreta AR70/90 5.56x45 mm rifles and two Iveco VTLM Lince 4x4 light multirole vehicles in the basic version.

With Albania’s strategic importance for Italy in the Balkan-Mediterranean regional context, the goal of the donation is to support the modernisation of the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) and build up the NATO-compatible capabilities of the Zall-Herr/Tirana-based 2nd Infantry Battalion.

The AAF is still poorly equipped and short of modern weapons and systems. The land forces are in a critical condition and in urgent need of replacements for old Kalashnikov rifles and outdated and logistically very demanding transport and combat vehicles.

FEATURED REPORT

Bahrain’s complex security landscape means that the country has to deal with domestic tensions while also participating in coalition operations that help secure the Gulf’s interests against Iranian influence and the threat posed by the Islamic State. As a result, the country’s equipment capabilities and needs are varied, writes Charles Forrester